One : Heart :
Posted: February 3, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: beauty, Body Image, compassion, cycling, faith, Identity, kindness, love, meditation, Mindfulness, Omaha, passion, religion, Spirituality, writing, yoga, Zen 7 CommentsOne love, one heart, one destiny-
True personal awareness arises from embracing our true spirit and taking ownership of the power within. That’s my personal fitness, 30 day yoga challenge, marathon training, “whatever” plan for you! Seriously, that’s all you need. Although, we happen to live in a time and place, when people do not know, let alone nurture, their spiritual life, let alone remain conscious of their soul or acknowledge its existence. Many kind and passionate folks who may not know their true-spirit, may be absorbed by “other” pursuits, their social life or basic everyday survival. These less nuanced areas of our lives, important as they are, simply fail to sustain our delicate hearts and nurture our souls.
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I get a fair amount of “odd” looks of disbelief when asked – “What brought you into our new studio?” or “You had a great race today! What does your training plan consist of mate?”
My humble answer: Humility, Courage and Love.
A deep-rooted sense of humility to recognize that I am merely a visitor in this inspiring life, blessed with the opportunity to enjoy the gifts that surround me. Love has gifted me a profound perspective, that fills me with joy and peace – even during the most trying moments of life. Courage provides me the strength and confidence to say “no.” Courage allows me to define myself in the face of the moment or setting, not being tempted to compromise my true inner spirit.
Daily Meditation:
Our true inner spirit enables us to surrender to inner peace, pure love, and real meaning in this thing called life.
A Hundred Years from Now
Posted: January 29, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: A Hundred Years from Now, beauty, David Shumate, gratitude, kindness, life, love, meditation, Omaha, passion, Poetry, Prose, writing, yoga 5 Comments…
I’m sorry I won’t be around a hundred years from now. I’d like to
see how it all turns out. What language most of you are speaking.
What country is swaggering across the globe. I’m curious to know
if your medicines cure what ails us now. And how intelligent your
children are as they parachute down through the womb. Have
you invented new vegetables? Have you trained spiders to do your
bidding? Have baseball and opera merged into one melodic sport?
A hundred years….My grandfather lived almost that long. The
doctor who came to the farmhouse to deliver him arrived in a
horse-drawn carriage. Do you still have horses?
Positive : Balance :
Posted: January 28, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: beauty, Body Image, cycling, Enviroment, gratitude, Identity, kindness, life, love, lust, meditation, Mindfulness, passion, running, Spirituality, teaching, writing, yoga, Zen 17 CommentsExpose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free-
The way in which our environment conditions us is more prevalent, and dare I say – perverse, than we appreciate. This topic is wide-ranging and fairly dense with meaning and purpose. In order to present it to you openly, and with an honest heart? We need to look into the dark areas of our souls.
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Seldom do we realize that the appearance of unnatural looking/tasting and pretty benign “things,” like the latest carbon fiber/electronic shifting bikes, chestnut praline latte’s, yoga mats and attire, tasteless candy, processed food, and trendy running attire owe their tantalizing properties to the way in which we are conditioned. The way in which the environment we live in shapes our behavior – no drool or droll needed, well maybe just a little?!? I caught myself recently lusting over a new Stevens Super Prestige Disc CX bike for no apparent reason other than it looks like good sex. Why is this so? I have some nice bikes already … The same holds true for other savory objects, such a new the colorful yoga mat for the aspiring yogi, an empty Starbucks cup for the coffee connoisseur , and new shoes for the runners lurking out there.
What scares my personally and as a society, is that, as sophisticated as this conditioning may seem, much of it is mediated unconsciously to us, beneath the nadir of our conscious and awareness.
Daily Meditation:
Why do I desire a new pair of Brooks running shoes, when I can’t even run? This is really scary!
: Astro : Travellin
Posted: January 26, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: art, beauty, Being, Body Image, Current Events, cycling, hedonic treadmill, Identity, life, love, Omaha, passion, self, writing, yoga 18 CommentsI really think I write about everyday life. I don’t think I’m quite as odd as others say I am. Life is intrinsically, well, boring and dangerous at the same time. At any given moment the floor may open up. Of course, it almost never does; that’s what makes it so boring-
Why do we become bored with cycling – running, our yoga practice – anything? Typically we immerse ourselves in rewarding and stimulating environment(s) – We have plenty of training apps and social media to keep us motivated, although, tracking performance or sharing memorable accounts of a recent race with friends, succeeds only in dividing our attention further from the inspiring moment at hand, perpetuating our boredom even more. Let’s honestly ask ourselves and reflect on how often we simply stare at our gadgets, with no purpose at all?
Why is our boredom hardly ever recognized, let alone less addressed and talked about openly?
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What boredom does for me personally, is to pull open the blinds on some rather uncomfortable thoughts and feelings – Thoughts and feelings, I normally try to escape and block out with a flurry of activity. Case in point: Long bike rides, lets say 75+ miles, I often find myself bored, which means I spend more time looking up Stats and KOM’s with Strava. Rather than savoring the beautiful countryside flowing beside me. If you are ever unfortunate enough to attend one of my yoga classes? When some new-age hippie Wanderlust music starts playing fifteen minutes into class and you have been in down dog for 5 minutes? I have become bored and uninspired as a teacher. Time to hop on the old Hedonic Treadmill …
I find being bored so unpleasant, that I expend considerable time and energy trying to reduce it. The technological gizmos lying at our twitchy fingertips have put an infinite amount of “information” and “stimulation” at our disposal. However, oddly enough, this only serves to make “things” worse! How? Instead of just being we become stale to the world, seeking more stimulation and information … The treadmill rolls on.
Daily Meditation:
When we ease into the comfort of our boredom, we develop a deeper relationship with our true selves rather than our technology/phones/gadgets. There is a simple, brilliant wealth of creativity waiting for us …
: Like : Me
Posted: January 23, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: beauty, Body Image, compassion, cycling, Daily Meditation, eating disorders, Guilt, Identity, kindness, life, love, meditation, Omaha, passion, What if?, yoga 17 CommentsI seem to have run in a great circle, and met myself again on the starting line-
“I feel a little queasy this morning before class. What if it’s cancer of the liver? What will happen to my mat, my car, my phone – if I die in class?!?”
“I haven’t heard from my friend since yesterday. What if he was hit by a car commuting to work?!?” He’s in a ditch I just know it … “
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The most unimaginative “things” in this thing called life do happen, and they create real and lasting pain in our cruel world. Although, when left to our devices, the imagined fantasies above cause senseless suffering in our hearts and minds, whether there is a once of truth in them or not. Why do we bathe ourselves in worry with “what if” thinking?
Daily Meditation:
I caught myself this morning causing my own suffering with “what ifs” … The trick to easing my own self induced pain, is acknowledging my pesky thoughts, smiling, and then moving on. I hope this post greets you with a smile as well – Have a wonderful weekend!
CultFit 